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ESI Releases IC.IDO v11 for Virtual Reality

PARIS, France, Jan 23, 2016 – ESI Group, leading innovator in virtual prototyping software and services for manufacturing industries, announces the latest release of IC.IDO, its virtual reality (VR) solution designed for industrial use. ESI IC.IDO 11 brings solid performance improvements along with new functionalities for efficient in-process engineering reviews, assembly tooling validation, and early accessibility and serviceability assessment. Fully compatible with head mounted displays (HMD), IC.IDO 11 also enables manufacturing companies to benefit from the integration of VR at every step of the engineering process. Users can interact naturally with their designs, using realistic hand and arm motion, while applying engineering changes to their existing VR scenes.

ESI IC.IDO 11 runs on HTC Vive Business Edition

ESI IC.IDO version 11 focuses on supporting the design and validation of efficient manufacturing and assembly processes, for all industries. Process release engineers, manufacturing process engineers, assembly tooling program managers and ergonomic engineers will benefit from IC.IDO’s latest developments for speeding up process and assembly design, avoiding bottlenecks and optimizing productivity. Enabling collaborative process design reviews with colleagues either on-site or remote, IC.IDO is a great tool to foster interactive process reviews and to eliminate design and ergonomic errors early in the process, before any physical prototype is built.

According to Philippe JAMES, VP continuous improvement and risks at Safran Nacelles, “IC.IDO is profoundly changing the way Safran Nacelles engineers work: Virtual Reality reduces the need for physical prototypes and costly retooling, while promoting live team discussion to deploy optimum designs much faster than when working in silos.”

IC.IDO 11 is also the first version of the software built to run on head-mounted displays (HMD), in addition to VR CAVEs, powerwalls and desktop systems. The ability to use HMDs, such as the well-known HTC Vive Business Edition, empowers engineers to delve deeper into design exploration through immersive VR. They can enjoy a more natural experience, with realistic hand and arm motion, and continue to benefit from real-time and real-scale product interactions. Furthermore, they can use VR earlier in the development process as they are no longer constrained by the availability of centralized resources (VR CAVE or VR experts). Their HMD now provides direct access to a user-friendly desktop VR system at any time.

With IC.IDO 11, engineers can perform virtual reviews of product/process integration naturally in virtual reality, validate accessibility without requiring users to wear dedicated body tracking suits/sleeves, and verify that a product design will be serviceable in the field. Within the VR environment in IC.IDO, they can interact with simulated objects just as assembly and service technicians would, once production begins. The beauty of this technology is that HMD also promotes a collaborative experience: IC.IDO 11 enables users throughout the world to connect to the same session using the same data on the same network, so colleagues can collaborate with each other within the same Virtual Reality, regardless of where they are.

“ESI’s adoption of Vive Business Edition, with their industry leading IC.IDO, is testimony to how quickly virtual reality immersive display technology is being adopted by leading engineering and manufacturing companies,” says Herve Fontaine, VP virtual reality enterprise and business development at HTC Vive. “They [ESI] have been pioneering precision engineering simulation technology for decades; accelerating time to market, product quality, and cost efficiency across large segments of the manufacturing industry. We are proud to be the virtual reality solution of choice for their new product offering. IC.IDO 11 with Vive Business Edition allows engineers to simulate their designs in room-scale VR months before the first parts are available. Leveraging Vive Business Edition’s high quality display, precise tracking and interactive controllers, every engineer can now perform quick prototyping and immersive “in-process” validation without requiring a CAVE.”

ESI Group is a leading innovator in virtual prototyping software and services. Specialist in material physics, ESI has developed a unique proficiency in helping industrial manufacturers replace physical prototypes by virtually replicating the fabrication, assembly and testing of products in different environments. Today, coupled with virtual reality, animated by systems models, and benefiting from data analytics, virtual prototyping becomes immersive and interactive: ESI’s clients can bring their products to life, ensuring reliable performance, serviceability and maintainability. ESI solutions help world-leading OEM’s and innovative companies make sure that their products will pass certification tests – before any physical prototype is built – and that new products are competitive in their market space. Virtual prototyping addresses the emerging need for products to be smart and autonomous and supports industrial manufacturers in their digital transformation.

Today, ESI’s customer base spans nearly every industry sector. The company employs about 1100 high-level specialists worldwide to address the needs of customers in more than 40 countries.